Ecstatic Dance Wave - Hope w/ Sara Bensman

Oct 16, 2026
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • Come get your dance on in a meditative, freeform movement container. Dance by yourself or with others to a curated multi-genre musical journey. Please read our https://ashevillemovementcollective.org/dance/our-dance-guidelines/

    Arrive before the opening circle.

    This dance’s intention: Hope

    In times of change that are unprecedented, anxiety-producing and far reaching, it feels helpful to explore the edges and embodied experience of the verb Hope.

    Hope Is Not a Bird, Emily, It’s a Sewer Rat by Caitlin Seida

    Hope is not the thing with feathers
    That comes home to roost
    When you need it most.

    Hope is an ugly thing
    With teeth and claws and
    Patchy fur that’s seen some shit.

    It’s what thrives in the discards
    And survives in the ugliest parts of our world,
    Able to find a way to go on
    When nothing else can even find a way in.

    It’s the gritty, nasty little carrier of such
    diseases as
    optimism, persistence,
    Perseverance and joy,
    Transmissible as it drags its tail across
    your path
    and
    bites you in the ass.

    Hope is not some delicate, beautiful bird,
    Emily.
    It’s a lowly little sewer rat
    That snorts pesticides like they were
    Lines of coke and still
    Shows up on time to work the next day
    Looking no worse for wear.

    About the Facilitator: Sara Bensman

    Sara’s mix-making arises from musical exploration. She seeks to understand energy through somatic responses to sonic vibrations. Her facilitation is propelled by a desire to help build and sustain community by creating a safe, loving container for self-expression, connection and release. If you’d like to listen to her sets visit https://soundcloud.com/sara-bensman.